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115 



Lice , M ites 

AND 

CLEANLINESS 



BOYSandGIRLS 

POULTRY 

CLUB 

WORK 




UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 16 



CONTRIBUTION FROM 
BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY 
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY DIVISION 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



NGTON, 



fc£o*o£ rapb 



LICE, MITES, AND CLEANLINESS. 



LICE AND MITES are common pests that usually can be found 
j wherever poultry is kept. They are a source of continuous 
annoyance, and if present in large numbers cause slow or stunted 
growth as well as death in young chicks and reduce flesh and egg 
production in mature birds. For this reason every boy and girl 
must keep the fowls as well as the poultry houses, nests, brood coops, 
etc., free from lice, mites, and other vermin, if he or she is to succeed 
with poultry or poultry-club work. 

KINDS OF LICE. 

More than 40 distinct species of lice infest the different varieties 
of domestic poultry. Seven species are commonly found on hens and 
chickens, 4 or 5 on pigeons, 2 or 3 each on ducks and geese, 3 on 
turkeys, and several each on guinea fowl and peafowl. The kinds 
most common on hens and chickens, however, are usually classed in 
three groups, known as body lice, head lice, and feather lice. They 
intermingle to a considerable extent, and their habits are very similar, 
but all are a pest and an annoyance to the fowls, and should be 
destroyed. 

These different species of lice never leave the bodies or feathers 
of the fowls. They differ somewhat in size and appearance, but all 
are fitted with peculiarly arranged legs which permit them to move 
about rapidly through the feathers. They have sharp, strong, biting 
mouths, but unlike the red and gray mites are not fitted for sucking 
blood; instead, they fe(d on portions of the feathers and on scales 
from the skin. 

BODY LICE 

The body louse is much larger than the red or gray mite, and is 
straw or pale yellow in color. It lives and breeds almost entirely 
on the body of the fowl, centering its activities on those sections that 
are not closely feathered, although it may sometimes be found on 
the head, neck, or other parts of the body. It is usually found in 
greatest numbers under the wings and around the vent, and often- 
times the skin of the fowl where the lice are thickest will appear red 

2 -CD 

NW 17 1933 

DIVISION Of QQCUM ENTS 



Lice, Mites, and Cleanliness. 3 

k 

and rough, and quite often scabs and blood clots may be seen. These 
are evidence of long irritation, preventing normal growth and develop- 
ment in chicks, and causing sickness and loss of vigor in mature fowls. 
Body lice deposit their eggs in clusters on the web part of the 
feather close to the quill. On mature fowls they are to be found in 
greatest numbers on the small short feathers below the vent. On 
chicks, the eggs are often deposited on the soft, downy feathers about 
the head and throat. The eggs hatch in about a week, and the lice 
reach their full size in about 20 days; therefore, if they are not killed, 
the fowls become alive with them in a very short time. 

HEAD LICE. 

Head lice, so called because of their habits, are found on the heads 
of both chicks and mature fowls, but most often on young chicks. 
They are longer and more slender than body lice, and dark brown in 
color. They are almost always in greatest number on the top of 
the head, around the ears, and underneath the bill, and are usually 
found with their heads close against the skin of the chicks, the body 
extending outward. Head lice confine their attacks principally to 
the head of the chick or fowl and are very injurious. They breed 
rapidly and pass from the mother hen to young chicks and from one 
chick to another, which makes it necessary for every boy and every 
girl to watch their flocks carefully in order to keep the chickens free 
from these pests. 

FEATHER LICE. 

Feather lice are the species most commonly found on poultry, but 
are probably the least importance for the reason that they stay on 
the feathers the greater part of the time, and feed on the feathers 
and scales along the quill rather than on the skin or body of the fowl. 
They are smaller than the body lice but otherwise resemble them 
somewhat in appearance. They can be detected easily, however, upon 
parting the feathers on the back or breast, where usually they can be 
found clinging to the web and shaft of the feather. Feather lice 
infest mature fowls and are seldom found on young chicks. 

FOULTRY MITES. 

Of all parasites affecting poultry it is probable that ordinary poultry 
mites are the most troublesome and destructive unless kept under 
control. Unlike the lice, poultry mites are blood-sucking parasites, 
and live entirely on the blood of the fowl. They are very small, and 
gray in color. However, after they have been on the body of the 
fowl and filled themselves with blood they look red and are called 



4 Department Circular 16, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 

red mites. When they are not filled with blood they look gray and 
are called gray mites. They do not stay on the fowl's body all the 
time, like lice, but during the day hide away in cracks and crevices, 
behind boards that are near the roosts, in the cracks of brood coops, 
and in other places where fowls or chicks are kept. At night when 
they go to roost, the mites come out of their hiding places, crawl on to 
the fowls and chicks, and suck the blood from their bodies. The 
irritation and loss of blood will cause mature fowls to become pale 
in comb and wattles and poor in flesh; sitting hens will desert their 
nests and spoil their eggs, if they do not die on the nests, and chickens 
will become weak and droopy and in many instances die from the 
attacks. 

These mites are very small and sometimes hide themselves away 
so completely that the boy or girl may think the houses, coops, etc., 
are free from them unless a careful search is made. Knowing their 
hiding places, however, every club member should look for them very 
carefully every 10 days or two weeks, especially during the summer, 
when they breed fastest, and if any signs of their presence are found, 
start at once to get rid of them. 

"STICK-TIGHT" FLEAS. 

In many of the Southern and Southwestern States fowls and chicks 
are often infested by a species of flea commonly known as "stick- 
tight" flea, taking the name from its habit of sticking to one place 
on the bird instead of moving about like lice and mites. They are 
usually found in clusters on the comb, wattles, and around the eyes. 
Chicks, when infested, often die quickly. Old fowls, while usually 
stronger and more resistant, will cease laying, or nearly so, and some- 
times die as the result of their attacks. 

POULTRY TICKS, OR "BLUE BUGS." 

Poultry ticks, or "blue bugs," are common in the Southern States, 
and are very injurious to poultry and pigeons. Their habits are very 
similar to those of the little red and gray mites in that the adult bugs 
crawl on the bodies of the birds and feed at night only, and during 
the day hide in cracks and crevices about the poultry house. The 
young ticks hatch and develop on the bodies of the fowls, only leaving 
the birds when they reach the adult stage and, thereafter, attack 
the chicks and fowls only when they have gone to roost at night. 
These "blue bugs" are about the size of a bedbug and much more 
harmful than either lice or mites. 



Lice, Mites, and Cleanliness. 



CHIGGERS, OR "RED BUGS." 

Chiggers, or "red bugs," are also quite troublesome in the Southern 
and Central States. They breed in the tall grass, and are usually 
most plentiful in low-lying land. They attack fowls and chicks that 
are on range, biting and penetrating the skin, causing an intense 
itching. Abscesses a third of an inch in diameter, surrounded by an 
area of inflammation, often may be found where clusters of these "red 
bugs" are feeding, and as a result the birds refuse to eat, become weak 
and droopy, and soon die from hunger and exhaustion. 

HOW TO GET RID OF LICE. 

Inasmuch as poultry lice stay on the fowls nearly all the time, the 
most effective treatments are those which are applied directly to the 
birds. 

Sodium fluorid, a powder which can be purchased at most drug 
stores, is a very effective remedy, being exceedingly poisonous to all 
kinds of poultry lice. It should be applied by placing a small amount 
of the powder (as much as can be held between the thumb and finger) 
among the feathers next to the skin on the head, neck, back, under 
the wings, on the breast, below the vent, and at the base of the tail. 

Care should be taken not to inhale the powder, as it irritates the 
nose and throat. 

Blue ointment is another effective remedy. In using it apply a 
small portion (a piece about the size of a pea) with the fingers around 
the vent only of the fowl, and not on the body or under the wings. 
Care should be taken not to get any of the ointment in the vent, 
as it is poisonous and injurious. If mercurial ointment (a similar 
preparation) is used instead of blue ointment, it should be diluted 
with one-half the quantity of vaseline or lard. 

Lice powders of various kinds are also on the market (which can 
usually be purchased at stores and poultry-supply houses) and may 
be used oftentimes with good results. These lice powders should 
be dusted well into the feathers (see illustration on front cover), 
working the powder in with the fingers, especially under the wings 
and around the vent to make sure it reaches the skin. If all the lice 
are not killed by the first treatment, the fowls should be dusted 
again in a week or ten days and as often afterwards as found necessary. 

HEAD LICE ON CHICKS. 

To kill head lice on chicks, a very small portion of melted lard or 
vaseline should be applied to the top of the head, under the wings, 
and around the vent. Care should be taken not to get too much 



6 



Department Circular 16, U, S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



grease on the chick, as it may prove fatal. These head lice are very 
injurious and chicks should be examined often for them and be treated 
at once whenever the lice are found. 

DUST BATH. 

It is always advisable to provide a good dust bath in which the 
fowls and chickens can dust themselves whenever they wish, as in 
doing so they help to keep the lice under control and in some instances 
almost free themselves from them. 




Boy club member spraying his brood coop to kill the poultry mites. 



HOW TO GET RID OF MITES. 

Knowing that poultry mites hide away in cracks and crevices 
during the day, the first thing that should be done to get rid of them 
is to give the poultry houses, roosts, nests, etc., a good cleaning. 
After the cleaning, spray thoroughly with kerosene, crude oil, or some 
heavy coal-tar preparation, making sure that the spray reaches all 
the cracks and crevices, and every other place where the mites may 
be hiding. The heavy coal-tar preparations are most effective and 
last longest. They can be purchased at most drug stores with ful) 
directions for mixing and use. It is necessary to spray thoroughly 
and often, especially during warm weather, if the mites are to be 
kept from annoying the fowls. 



Lice, Mites, and Cleanliness. 



HOW TO GET RID OF "STICK-TIGHT" FLEAS. 

"Stick-tight" fleas breed in cracks and crevices of brood coops 
and poultry houses; also in dry animal or vegetable refuse, but will 
not breed in damp or wet places; therefore, to get rid of them it is 
necessary to clean and spray the houses and runs thoroughly as well 
as treat the birds. Grease the comb and wattles of the fowls and 
chicks with a preparation of kerosene and lard — 1 part kerosene to 
3 parts of lard — being very careful not to use too much of the mixture 
or get any of it in the birds' eyes or on other places where it is not 
necessary, as it may cause injury if used too freely. Clean and spray 
the coops and houses thoroughly the same as for poultry mites; also 
wet or spray the yards or runs, especially any dry soil about the poultry 
houses, such as dirt floors or ground underneath a board floor, with 
a solution of salt and water, which helps to keep the ground moist 
and prevents the fleas from breeding. 

HOW TO GET RID OF TICKS, OR "BLUE BUGS." 

Ticks, or "blue bugs," are much harder to kill than either lice 
or mites, ordinary lice powders or insecticides having little effect 
upon them. If the poultry house or coops become infested, remove 
the birds to temporary quarters for a period of 10 days, during which 
time the young ticks on the birds become filled with blood and fall 
off, when the birds should be at once removed. In the meantime 
thoroughly clean the poultry house by removing all nest boxes and 
nesting material, roosts, and other loose objects, and spray liberally 
with crude petroleum or kerosene or wood preservative, making sure 
that it reaches all places where the bugs may be in hiding. Brood 
coops or temporary quarters, such as crates, etc., that may be infested, 
may be disinfected by scalding thoroughly with boiling water. 

HOW TO GET RID OF CHIGGERS, OR "RED BUGS." 

Fowls or chicks that have been attacked by chiggers, or "red 
bugs," if discovered before abscesses are formed on the skin, should 
have the inflamed parts treated with sulphur ointment, or a mixture 
of 1 part of kerosene with 3 parts of melted lard. If pus has already 
formed in the sore, remove the scab and wash the sore with a 4 per 
cent solution of carbolic acid and water. In sections where "red 
bugs" are plentiful, if fowls and chicks are given free range, the 
grass should be kept short to prevent the bugs breeding; also dust 
the birds occasionally with flowers of sulphur, rubbing it well into the 
feathers. Club members should also hatch their chickens as early 



8 Department Circular 16, U. S. Depl. of Agriculture. 

in the season as possible, so that when the hot weather comes on, 
when these bugs are most troublesome, the chicks will be old enough 
to resist their attacks. 

WHITEWASH. 

Whitewash is also effective in killing mites and other vermin and 
may be used freely in spraying the houses, brood coops, roosts, etc. 
In badly infested places it is advisable to clean and spray, as already 
described, and in about 48 hours follow with a good spray or coating 
of whitewash. An effective whitewash for this purpose is made as 
follows : 

Slake half a peck of lime and dilute it with 20 gallons of water; 
add 1 pound of salt previously dissolved in water; to this mixture 
add 2 quarts of crude carbolic acid. Apply with a spray pump or 
brush. This mixture if properly put on not only kills the mites but 
destroys all eggs, and will make the house, or any building where it 
is used, fresh and clean. 

CLEANLINESS. 

Cleanliness is of the greatest importance in keeping lice and mites, 
fleas and other insects under control, and should have the closest 
attention of every boy and girl. The poultry houses, roosts, drop- 
ping boards, brood coops, and all other places that the fowls or 
chickens occupy should be kept clean. An abundance of light and 
fresh air should also be provided. While these things can not be 
depended on to keep away lice and mites, yet they make it easier 
to determine when the pests are present and help to keep the fowls 
healthy and vigorous, making them better able to withstand and to 
fight off the attacks of lice and mites. Sick or diseased fowls are 
always the first victims of these parasites, which makes it important 
that the fowls be kept healthy. 



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